Ratchet-wrench.



T. FINN.

RATGHET WRENCH.

APPLICATION nun MAR. 20, 191;.

1,086,907. Patenfid Feb. 10, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

THOMAS FINN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. B. PAULSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RATCHET-WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS FINN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Ratchet WVrenches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches, and more particularly that class of wrenches known as ratchet wrenches, and has for its object to provide a wrench of the above character which will combine the functions of a ratchet wrench with the advantageous qualities of the ordinary jaw wrench.

Another object of my invention is to simplify the construction and operation of wrenches of the above type and therebymaterially increase their utility.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a wrench which may be operated from positions wherein the ordinary type of wrench would be practically useless.

With the above and other object-s in view,

I will now proceed to describe my invention in the following specification and accom panying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved wrench; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the inside of one of the ratchets; Fig. a is an edge view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view of the jaws as they would appear in place; and Fig. 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 indicates the handle portion of my improved wrench, having at its upper extremity an enlarged ring 2. A shoulder 3 is formed integral with a ratchet plate 4. This ratchet plate 1 is provided for a dis tance around its periphery with teeth 5, which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl carried by the handle of the wrench.

The upper end of the handle is preferably bifurcated by a recess, formed by two cuts, as it were, in planes between and parallel to its faces to form two co-acting rings, as previously described, between which the ratchet wheels 1 are adapted to rotate. The ratchet wheels are flattened, as indicated at Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 755,708.

6. Adjacent to the flattened surface 6 and extending laterally therewith, I preferably provide a rib 7 which extends for substantially the full distance across the top of the ratchet plate, and is adapted to act as a guide, the use of which will be more fully hereinafter described. In the center of the ratchet plate, 1 preferably provide an elongated opening 8 which extends at right angles to the rib 7, and is adapted to receive the knurled thumb nut, by means of which the jaws are adjusted.

An elongated slot 9 is formed at the bottom of the bifurcated portion of the handle 1, and extends for a short distance thereinto. These slots 9 are adapted to receive the ends of the pin 10 which pass through a slidable pawl 11, provided at its upper extremity with a bevel 12, which is adapted to ratchet over the teeth 5 on the ratchet wheel 4:- This pawl 11 is seated in a recess 13 and is actuated by means of a suitable coil spring 14:, which surrounds the shank of the pawl and abuts on the bar 10 in the bottom of the recess, whereby the pawl is forced upwardly and into engagement with the teeth on the ratchet wheel.

Suitable jaws 15 are inserted in the bifurcated portion of the handle and are slidably mounted on the rib 7. These jaws 15 are provided with shoulders 16, which are adapted to abut on the smooth surface 6 of the ratchet wheel 4. Intermediate of the shoulder 16 and the lower extremity of the jaws, I preferably provide a groove 17, which is adapted to cooperate with the rib 7 and retain the jaws in place. The screwthreaded aperture 18 is provided intermediate of the groove 17 and the lower extremity of the jaws. These screw-threaded apertures are adapted to receive the ends of the screw-threaded shank 19, which has fixed intermediate of its ends a knurled thumb nut 20, by means of which the same is adapted to be rotated, whereby the jaws are adjusted. The threaded shank 19 is provided at each extremity with screw-threads of the same pitch, but acting in opposite direction. Thus it will be seen than when the thumb piece 20 is turned, the jaws will either move toward or away from each other, as the operator may desire.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the jaws 15, being slidably mounted on the rib 7 of the ratchet plate, when it is desired that said jaws should be adjusted, the thumb nut 20 may be turned and the jaws brought to the desired adjustment. The wrench is then applied and will turn the object on which it is operating in one direction, but, when traveling in the opposite direction, will ratchet over the teeth 5 until the desired position of the handle is reached; then, upon reversing the direction of travel, the object will be caused to turn until it has reached the position desired by the operator.

IVhile in the foregoing I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I may change the specific arrangements of parts without in any way departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A wrench comprising a handle, an enlarged portion formed at the upper extremity of said handle, the said enlarged portion being bifurcated by cuts between and in planes parallel to its faces, said handle being provided at the lower extremity of the bifurcations with a recess, a pawl, ratchet plates rotatably secured within the bifurcated portions, jaws slidably mounted between the ratchet plates, and means to adjust the jaws with relation to the ratchet plates.

2. Ina wrench, a handle, enlarged portions formed at the upper extremity of said handle, said enlarged portions being bifurcated and formed with a transverse aperture, ratchet plates having elongated central slots, shoulders formed on said ratchet plates and extending into the transverse apertures, ribs on the faces of the ratchet plates opposite the shoulders, the major portion of the peripheries of the ratchet plates being toothed, and the remaining portion being flattened parallel with the ribs, jaws having transverse grooves and shoulders engaging the ribs on the ratchet plates, and threaded openings in their lower portions, a threaded bar extending through said openings, a thumb nut suitably mounted on the threaded bar and adapted to rotate the same,

the edge of said thumb nut being adapted to project through the elongated openlngs formed in the plates, thereby providing access to the thumb nut, whereby the threaded bar may be rotated and the jaws adjusted. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS FINN.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS FARLEY, E. B. ARCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). 0. 

